This application is a U.S. national application of international application serial No. PCT/EP98/05789 filed Sep. 10, 1998, which claims priority to German serial No. 197 40 207.0 filed Sep. 12, 1997.
The invention concerns a demonstration device in the form of a living organism enlarged at least 50 times, wherein an outer skin surrounding a cavity simulates the form of a living organism. In the cavity formed by the outer skin of the demonstration device are arranged functional elements which correspond to the organs of the respective living organism.
Owing to the complexity of the organs and joints present in living organisms, particularly in human beings, there is a great need to make the functions of these organs and joints readily transparent and understandable.
WO 97/27573 discloses an enlarged model of a human being in which the human internal organs are arranged largely in their respective anatomically correct positions. This human model is mounted face up on its back and shows an androgynous human being. The organs arranged in the human model are designed for walking. As a result, according to WO 97/27573 an extraordinary sense of adventure as well as the sense of a journey of discovery are conveyed. Owing to the model being designed only for walking, however, it is not possible to convey the layout and function of the human organism in a didactically significant manner within a reasonable time.
By contrast U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,550 shows a model of two sleeping persons in which, but not in anatomically correct layout, the organs of an individual person are arranged in such a way that they can be travelled by rail. With this model only the head regions are fulls formed, while the outer form of the building containing the organs in the remaining parts has the form of a blanket. With this model, consequently, there is no model of the human being which can be recognised as such from the outside. Here, again, the imparting of knowledge about the layout as well as the function of the individual human organs is conveyed only imperfectly, because when travelling through the organs there is no room left for an individual knowledge-imparting time appropriate to the respective observer.
Starting from this, it is the object of the present invention to provide a demonstration device in the form of a living organism with which it is possible to make the functionality of the -essential organs, vascular systems, reproductive organs, joints and the like which are present in the living organism, accessible and understandable to an observer in a didactically optimum manner and within a reasonable time.
This object is achieved by the introductory part of claim 1 in conjunction with its characterising features.
The demonstration device according to the invention is made accessible with its functional elements by means of body function-specific path systems. Path systems which can be travelled along by vehicle and also on foot are provided. Thus it is possible to allow the individual observer a way of approaching the individual organs, vascular systems and/or joints or the like which matches his interests and his perceptive faculties. For instance, by travelling by vehicle through the individual organs he can gain a quick overview of the relationships between the individual organs etc. in a fast, spectacular and impressive manner, and then access the organs etc. in which he is particularly interested on foot, observing detailed information, for example in xe2x80x9cchild zonesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cchild-friendly functional elementsxe2x80x9d adapted to the abilities of children as well. An iterative approach of this kind allows optimum imparting of knowledge. In the same way, differentiation of the individual ways of imparting knowledge is possible by rail or on foot depending on the age of the visitors to the demonstration device. Thus for example children, who cannot yet be given the knowledge about the relationships between the organs of the human body through charts or experiments can nevertheless be given an idea by means of a rail journey which is of interest to this age group.
As the demonstration device according to the invention simulates the form of a living organism, it must have a size which makes it possible to go by vehicle or on foot over the demonstration device from the inside. The dimensioning of the demonstration device must be selected accordingly. As a rule, therefore, enlargement by at least 50 times is required.
Advantageous developments of the demonstration device according to the invention are given in the dependent claims.
The outer skin can be designed as a monolithic shell, preferably as a self-supporting hall, and/or be carried by support elements. Parts of the outer skin can be made transparent to give a free view of the interior of the living organism and for example an anatomically correctly placed functional element. As travel over the demonstration device is to be possible both by vehicle and on foot, it is advantageous not exclusively to arrange the functional elements in their anatomically correct positions in the demonstration device, but to arrange them according to the individual access options in the interests of optimum use of the interior of the outer casing. It is also possible to set up separate organ systems for the two types of access, vehicle and walking, as the two types of access are intended to convey different aspects. The vehicle access type is intended more for a spectacular travel effect, whereas with the functional elements accessible on foot, in which lingering of the observer according to his needs is possible, detailed knowledge in written form can be conveyed, for example by charts.
Accordingly the travel way can run in a tube, preferably a closed tube or closed tube system, by means of a driverless railway cabin system with individual centrally controlled carriages. Thus the travellers are not exposed to any distraction by elements not belonging to the travel way or by visitors travelling in front or behind. The overall result is also an optimum cheap solution, as the individual carriages can travel close together one behind the other.
In the preferred embodiment of the demonstration device, in the event that a human being is simulated, with an enlargement of 80 to 120 times there is an optimum size of the demonstration device. Favourably the demonstration device is arranged horizontally so that optimum static conditions as well as the possibility of walking and travel by vehicle are produced. The human being can in this case lie on its belly, lifting its head over the terrain. It is particularly favourable for static support of the very large, heavy head if the arms are arranged in such a way that the head is supported on them.
The outer skin can here be designed as a self-supporting hall or carried by support elements. In this case it can be either a self-supporting frame structure or an outer skin which is secured by support pillars. In any case it is necessary for enough space to be left in the demonstration device to arrange and visit the corresponding functional elements and path systems.
The material of the demonstration device can either be of a metallic nature, or be selected from concrete or the like or from plastics. The respective wall thickness is determined by the material conditions.
The functional elements which simulate the organs etc. of the respective living organism are essentially the most important organs etc. of the living organisms. For the preferred embodiment of the human being, heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, digestive tract, sense organs, brain, nervous and vascular systems, lung and the large and small joints such as shoulder joints, knee joints, finger joints and toe joints are to be provided as functional equipment.
These individual functional elements can be made interactive so that they can be operated by the observer and the function becomes clear. The manner of operation of the functional elements can be illustrated by optical and/or acoustic measures.
Particularly interesting didactic access is produced when in the functional elements the corresponding technical analogon which is often known to the observer even from his everyday life is placed by the side of the physiological functions. This imparting of content can be improved by assigning to the individual organ systems, such as for example the system consisting of digestive tract and internal organs or heart, circulation and lung, their own path systems, for example their own railway tracks.